Courts / Kerry / Report

Jury to begin deliberating in trial of Georgian man accused of murder

Summary

The jury in the trial of Badri Khvedelidze, aged 33, will begin deliberations on Tuesday at the Central Criminal Court. Khvedelidze has pleaded not guilty to the murder of fellow Georgian George Tkeshelashvili, who died on 15 October 2005 at Westward Court in Tralee. The prosecution's case, presented by Mr Tim O'Leary SC, relies on the testimony of chief witness Givi Verdzeuli, who claimed to have seen an argument over a game of backgammon, a punch to the chest, blood, and a knife in Khvedelidze's hand. Defence counsel Mr Kerida Naidoo SC challenged Verdzeuli's reliability, noting that he had changed his story after initially telling Gardaí he saw nothing, and that he had been deported to Georgia in 2010. Naidoo also cited a 45‑year‑old Nigerian witness, Sow Unmi, who failed to identify Khvedelidze when shown a photograph.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Jury to begin deliberating in trial of Georgian man accused of murder. Charges or matters: the murder of fellow Georgian George Tkeshelashvili on October 15 2005 at Westward Court in Tralee, Co Kerry. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• October 15 2005 Hearing Or Sentence
• Tuesday November 3 Incident
• 2015-11-02 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report